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    Home » Christmas

    Cranberry Cookies

    Published: Dec 13, 2022 by Jessica Fisher

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    Cranberry Cookies made with nuts and fresh cranberries are so amazingly delicious. They are the perfect combination of sweet, tart, crunchy, and tender!

    Tuck these babies into a Dessert Charcuterie Board or include them in your trays of Christmas Cookies. They are the perfect cookie for Christmas — or whenever you have a stash of frozen cranberries on hand.

    cranberry cookies on a tray with some fresh cranberries. this …
    Jump to:
    • Why Do This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Best Cookie Recipes
    • Tell us what you think!
    • Cranberry Cookies

    Years ago I rediscovered the Cranberry books by the Devlins. Cranberry Thanksgiving and Cranberry Christmas were my favorites. I remembered baking bread with my granny after reading the Thanksgiving book, so as a young mom, I baked Cranberry Cookies with my daughter after reading the Christmas book.

    This Cranberry Cookies recipe is adapted from that vintage cookie recipe, with some tweaks to make them easier and tastier. They are one of our family’s very favorite holiday treats!

    Why Do This

    Cranberry Cookies are delicious! Since they boast fresh instead of dried cranberries, these treats are bursting with flavor, not too juicy, but enough to make you come back for more.

    They are easy to make ahead. Definitely bake up a few extra batches of Cranberry Cookies because this cookies recipe freezes beautifully.

    They are versatile. While we love them straightforward with pecans and cranberries, you can add in other goodies, such as orange zest or chocolate chips.

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you’ll need to make Cranberry Cookies:

    ingredients for cranberry cookies laid out on black counter.

    flour – I like to use unbleached, all-purpose flour, but you can use bleached as well. Whole wheat pastry flour will also work.

    leavenings – You’ll need baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Don’t omit these. Remember you can make baking powder if you need a substitution.

    butter – I use dairy butter, but you can also use margarine or another plant-based butter. It will need to be softened, so be sure to leave it at room temperature for awhile before you start baking.

    sugar – You’ll need both granulated sugar and brown sugar. You can use dark or light brown sugar. If you don’t have any, use white sugar and then add a tablespoon of molasses.

    egg – The egg is needed to give the cookies lift. You can also use flaxseed meal egg replacement, but the texture will be slightly different.

    milk – I use dairy milk, but you can also use a favorite plant milk if you prefer.

    lemon juice – This adds needed acid to react with the baking soda. If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use lime juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.

    fresh cranberries  – These will need to be chopped. I use a food processor, but you can coarsely chop them by hand with a knife as well. Stock up when you see them on sale in November and December and stash them away in the freezer for your favorite Cranberry recipes.

    chopped nuts – We’ve used pecans and almonds. Use what you have. 

    Variations

    For cranberry orange cookies, add the zest of 1 orange and use orange juice instead of lemon.

    For chocolate cranberry cookies, swap out the nuts for chocolate chips.

    If you like these you might also like our Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies or Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Here’s how to make Cranberry Cookies:

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

    dry ingredients placed in a mixing bowl.
    dry ingredients whisked together in mixing bowl, with whisk.

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

    butter and sugars in mixing bowl.
    butter and sugar mixture in bowl with hand mixer to the side.
    adding egg and other liquids to butter sugar mixture.
    butter sugar mixture in bowl with beaters.

    In another mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with a hand mixer or a Kitchenaid. Beat in the egg, milk, and lemon juice. 

    adding flour to butter mixture.
    the dough formed in the bowl, with a teal spatula.
    adding cranberries and nuts to the bowl.
    the finished cookie dough in the mixing bowl.

    Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. This will be a stiff dough. Add in the cranberries and nuts and mix well.

    cookie dough balls on cookie sheet.
    baked cookies cooling on rack.

    Drop the cookie dough by tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

    Cooled cookies can be frozen in airtight containers for up to 2 months.

    TLDR? Watch the Cranberry Cookies web story.

    FAQs

    Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried in cookies?

    You can make the swap, however you will want to chop the cranberries coarsely and dial back a little of the liquid in your cookie recipe. Dried cranberries absorb liquid while fresh ones give off liquid.

    Can you make cookies with fresh cranberries?

    It sounds odd since cranberries are so big and juicy when cooked, but this cranberry cookie recipe is one of my favorite cookies ever!

    How do you make this recipe orange cranberry? 

    Add the zest of an orange and substitute the lemon juice with orange juice in this recipe.

    cranberry cookies on a plate as well as in a red tin with hearts.

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    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    cranberry cookies in a tin with white parchment.
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    4.75 from 8 votes

    Cranberry Cookies

    Cranberry Cookies are some of the best. With fresh cranberries and chopped nuts, they're the perfect combination of sweet and tart, crunchy, and juicy.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time35 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 48 cookies
    Calories: 101kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • large mixing bowl
    • hand mixer
    • parchment
    • heavy duty sheet pan
    • wire rack

    Ingredients

    • 3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ cup butter softened
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 cup brown sugar packed
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup milk
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 3 cup fresh cranberries coarsely chopped
    • 1 cup chopped nuts toasted
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
      3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • In another mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with a hand mixer or a Kitchenaid. Beat in the egg, milk, and lemon juice. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. This will be a stiff dough. Add in the cranberries and almonds and mix well.
      ½ cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, ¼ cup milk, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 cup fresh cranberries, 1 cup chopped nuts
    • Drop dough by tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
    • Cooled cookies can be frozen in airtight containers for up to 2 months.

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate and are based on 1 cookie. Use within 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.
    Variations:
    • For cranberry orange cookies, add the zest of 1 orange and use orange juice instead of lemon.
    • For chocolate cranberry cookies, swap out the nuts for chocolate chips.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tell us what you think!Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    This post was originally published on December 6, 2015. It has been updated for content and clarity.

    « Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
    Brioche French Toast »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dana

      December 18, 2017 at 3:45 pm

      Ah, the Cranberry books. I remember THE highlight of 1st grade — our teacher read us the story and my best friend’s mom brought the bread with the recipe mimographed to take home — this was 1971~ and my mom had to make it for our family because I insisted. I have continued the tradition and make the bread every year at Thanksgiving for my family. Own both books but have never made the cookies! Thanks for spurring me on to a new Christmas tradition, Jessica!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        December 18, 2017 at 4:30 pm

        Yay! I’m so glad. I have such fond memories of these books and only rediscovered them in print a few years ago. Love them!

        Reply
    2. Michele Thomson

      December 09, 2015 at 11:36 am

      i LOVED the Cranberry Christmas book as a kid! i never read Cranberry Thanksgiving, i might have to order it! Thanks for the nostalgia!!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        December 11, 2015 at 11:48 am

        It’s not all brilliant of a book, but it ranks high on nostalgia. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Shelly

      December 07, 2015 at 3:09 pm

      Could you use frozen cranberries and chop them up?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        December 11, 2015 at 11:48 am

        Yes. I’d recommend using a food processor. That’s what I did for mine that weren’t frozen.

        Reply
    4. Anna

      December 07, 2015 at 10:48 am

      I remember that book. Giving the book and a batch of cookies as a Christmas present is a great idea 🙂

      Reply
    5. Nancy H

      December 06, 2015 at 7:55 pm

      These sound like a great change from normal Christmas cookie fare! Just to be sure, we’re talking fresh cranberries and not dried – is that correct?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        December 07, 2015 at 6:27 am

        Yes! Weird, huh? When the books were written, I’m not sure dried cranberries were even available. The fresh cranberries are pretty amazing in it.

        Reply
        • Stephanie

          December 21, 2022 at 10:56 am

          5 stars
          These cranberry cookies are so good, Jessica! They will be a yummy addition to our Christmas goodies. I made half the recipe with chopped pecans and the other half without since some family members don’t care for nuts. Thanks again for sharing your talents with us all!

        • Jessica Fisher

          December 21, 2022 at 1:16 pm

          Yay! Thanks for sharing your success!

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